Former Milan coach Stefano Pioli has spoken about his Rossoneri departure eight months after leaving San Siro, revealing that he had arguments with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paolo Maldini during his time at Milan and that he had an all-time Have talked about the reality of great coaching. Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.
The former Rossoneri boss spoke in detail in an interview La Gazzetta dello Sport In Riyadh, Published on Sunday, a day earlier Italian Super Cup Final Between Inter and Milan.
Pioli greatly appreciated the quality of football in the Saudi Pro League, and believes that if three or four teams were hypothetically playing in Serie A there would be competition for Champions League positions.
Discussing what a regular day looks like at Al Nassr, Pioli said: “It’s a regular professional’s day: from 7.30 to 16.30 at the training ground, even when the heat reaches 45℃. On Fridays, we end at 11pm to respect religious practices.
“I live with my wife, my son and my staff in a well-furnished complex about 30 km away from our training ground. We play paddle, go bowling, explore the different ethnic restaurants in town. Apart from the traffic, everything is great.”
Asked if he had learned any Arabic during his first six months in Riyadh, he replied: “Yalla, which I use every day in training to say ‘let’s go, let’s go’. And ‘Mabruk’, which means congratulations.’
Does he get recognized when he walks around in Saudi Arabia?
“Everywhere! In shopping centers, in restaurants. They call me ‘Bioli’ with a B. They say: ‘Ciao Bioli, AC Milan, Scudetto!’ There are many Milan fans here.”
And on the overall quality of the Saudi Pro League, Pioli said: “It’s better than I thought. Six or seven teams may compete in Serie A, with three or four teams competing for Champions League places. At the beginning at Al Nassr, I did not push too much, then gradually we brought in the players we wanted.
Pioli on coaching Ronaldo and differences with Ibrahimovic
Pioli is among an elite group of coaches tasked with training one of the game’s greatest players, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Explaining the reality of coaching one of the greatest players of all time, Pioli said: “If I arrive half an hour early, he arrives 35 minutes early. He always boards the bus first. He is a perfectionist who demands a lot from himself and others.
“He lives for the team, he helps, he gives advice. Sometimes I let him talk to the players. I may not treat him like others, but he is intelligent and he respects himself and my role.
And on the differences between coaching Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic, the former Milan coach said: “They are different characters. Ibra was flamboyant and had an impressive personality. Cristiano is a legend, he is global, huge. He has a thousand official goals in his mind. He will score them, he is not far away.”
Pioli on ‘strong discussions’ with Ibrahimovic and Maldini
Pioli and Ibrahimovic have a good working relationship, but when they were together at Milan the pair were not afraid to lash out at each other from time to time, Pioli revealed.
“When I signed for Al Nassr he wrote to me, after Madrid I congratulated him. When we saw each other here in Riyadh we hugged. It was a pleasure to train him, not easy, but that’s also part of the pleasure.
“He will surely remember an important ‘discussion’ that took place in my office. It was useful to me!”
The same can be said for former Milan directors Ricky Massara and Paolo Maldini.
On his relationship with Maldini and Massara, Pioli said: “We have been in contact. I worked well with two honest and extremely capable people. Our understanding was strong. There was also a heated discussion with Paolo, because we were both stubborn.